February 13, 2026

What is winter like at Greenfield? Dazzling. Drab. Daunting. Delightful.

All of the above. Really, it just depends on the day…or the week.

Once the golden leaves of autumn hit the ground and lawns lose their green, the landscape is painted in shades of brown. Even on cloudy days Greenfield’s sacred silence prevails.

Snow and Freezing Rain

We never quite know when the first big snow will arrive, but when it does, it transforms everything. Who doesn’t like sunlight on snow? It’s beautiful. But it also means that driving in through the entrance lane and finding a parking spot can be daunting, or even impossible.

This year, the first big snow fall didn’t put in an appearance until late January. And it was an especially challenging one. About a foot of snow hit the ground. That’s problematic enough; but this particular snow fall was followed by freezing rain, layering a coat of ice on top of all those snow drifts. Then, over the next 2-plus weeks temperatures stayed well below freezing. Alas, that meant that services in our new chapel had to be cancelled.

Services and Seva

After a good deal of hard physical labor clearing lanes, pathways, and parking spaces…and the temperature finally rising above freezing…Greenfield Retreat Center resumed its routine.

We were all grateful to get back to meditating together in the physical presence of other members of Master’s family, and also to enjoying Greenfield’s grounds, which take on an ethereal beauty at this time of year—deer wandering through winter-bare trees; sunlight glimmering on snow; sweet, sacred silence.

Here is a video of the beauty of Greenfield in the snow.

November 21, 2025

Finally! the long-awaited, blessed day arrived. On Sunday, November 9, the Greenfield grounds ablaze with autumn color, devotees from near and far gathered for the very first services in our new Greenfield Chapel It felt surreal.

The first services in our new Greenfield Chapel were held on Sunday, November 9. Brahmacharini Ann led the meditation service and Sister Brahmani the reading service. Sister opened the chapel and introduced the services, appropriately enough, with two sweet words: “Welcome home!”

Closing the Circle

It did feel like coming home. Since 2020 Greenfield’s Sunday services and most retreats have been held at offsite venues.

Actual construction on the chapel got underway just two short years ago. However, local and regional devotees have been hoping for, envisioning, and working towards building a new chapel quite literally for decades.

With the longed for end in sight, those two years felt like a long time. What’s more, that wait time was filled with construction noise; busy teams of workers, heavy equipment, and building supplies being delivered through narrow lanes; not to mention delays due to rain, mud, and inspections. Then came challenges dealing with basic things like storm water run-off and installing a new auto-visual system. Progress followed by delays, followed by more progress, followed by more waiting.

No wonder those opening services felt so special! Every single seat in house was taken and then some. (The building does have an overflow room with screen and audio.) It’s not surprising that the chapel was full. So many members of Master’s family wanted to be here for this special day. Devotees drove in from Washington DC, from New York, from Maryland.

Bringing in the Light

There’s a lot to love about the new chapel—way too much to deal with in a single Greenfield’s Journey entry. You’ll simply need to come see for yourself. It will take multiple visits to absorb the blessings that this new spiritual space will give to each of us.

However, we can answer one question: What was the outstanding impression of that first day of services, that gathering of Master’s beautiful family in a beautiful new chapel? What stands out the most? The LIGHT! And with it, the potential for spreading the Light.

Sister Brahmani put it so well in her recent email message: “May you all continue to be blessed channels for the Light and Love of God to spread in this community and in the world.”

To see a video of the chapel opening, click here

And here is a playlist of all construction-related videos

October 4, 2025

New porch railings, freshly painted, give our new Greenfield Chapel a finished look. Brand new sidewalks seem to send a silent message: “Welcome! Come on in.” However,  we’ll have to resist that call until the building is ready!

As the exterior of our new building starts to take on that awake and ready look, one can’t help but wonder. When? Soon?

Yes! Coming Soon

Interior finishes are almost done. A few necessary projects— HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work—are nearing completion.  Carpets are scheduled for installation on the 30th. (A lovely birthday present for Lahiri Mahasaya.)

And on the exterior, there’s really good news.

The septic/drain field, which presented so many challenges, has finally been completed and (get this!) passed its required inspection.

Gutters on the building are nearing completion. If weather permits, concrete and exterior grading should be completed within the next week or so. Final inspections should follow close behind, likely in mid-October.

So, what’s next?

As Sister Brahmani says in her recent email to devotees: “As the reality of having a beautiful new chapel comes closer, we feel the joy of God and Guruji, whose presence is already tangible in this new space.  We lovingly look forward to sharing it with you all, and appreciate your ongoing prayers.”

There is no video for this post, but you can view all the previous construction videos here.

September 4, 2025

It’s here. Finally!

Greenfield Retreat Center’s brand new altar arrived last week and installation is now well underway.

Long anticipated, this is welcome news, indeed. The altar IS here. It sounds  so simple.  However, it’s anything but simple.

A tremendous amount of planning, sheer physical effort, and teamwork went into making all this happen. And behind-the-scenes, a labor of love that will last for years went into creating this altar. It’s quite a saga. But for now, let’s focus on how the altar was built and its recent arrival.

How to Build (and Rebuild) an Altar

Construction of the altar got underway late last year when monks at Lake Shrine took on the project. Of course, you know what happened at Lake Shrine some eight months ago when a massive fire destroyed the neighborhood surrounding the sacred property.

Alas, the fire also burned the buildings housing the monks’ quarters. And it reduced to ashes initial work on Greenfield’s altar, including the beautiful lotus columns. The monks working on the altar were displaced to Encinitas. Now what?

At this point a lay member who had helped with other projects offered space in his garage to set up a workshop, allowing the monks to once again take up their work on Greenfield’s altar. They also found a local 3D printing company and successfully used 3D printing to reproduce the columns.  As time went on, the monks were able to get back to their shop at Lake Shrine and use their CNC machine that miraculously survived the fire, so the jali window screens on either side of the altar were then produced back at Lake Shrine.

Joyous Teamwork

As components of the altar were completed, they were transported for storage at Hidden Valley. Components? Yes! The altar was actually built as multiple separate intricate pieces that fit together, kind of like a giant, heavy jigsaw puzzle.

Once complete, the obvious next steps were transporting the altar from California to Virginia and installing it in the new chapel.

On Janmashtami (August 16) monks and lay members loaded the altar onto a rented truck. A lay member volunteered to make the drive across the country, where he was joined by three monks and two other lay members who also made their way to Greenfield from California and Boston, where several years ago, they had installed an identical altar for the Boston Meditation Center. And, of course, several local devotees who regularly serve at Greenfield also got in on the action.

It was a good thing to have so many strong arms at the ready, because some of those “jigsaw puzzle” pieces were heavy. Very heavy. Some of those pieces needed the muscle power of ten men to carry them from the truck and maneuver them through the chapel door with only inches to spare.

Heavy Work, Light Hearts

For a full picture of what that labor of love was like, check out the pictures and watch the time-lapse video. You’ll see local men, volunteers from other states, and monks joyously working together in the sunshine. (Note the perfect weather for such sweaty work.) Harmony, team work, muscle power, and precision all come together to get those puzzle pieces through the door.

Then watch the altar coming together, piece by piece. Clearly, these guys know what they’re doing—up the ladder, down the ladder, giant pieces and little pieces, electrical wiring and sublime altar pictures all coming together to make one beautiful altar. Finally!

Of course, at this point we’re all eagerly anticipating the next big step, holding services in our beautiful new Greenfield Retreat Chapel. Coming soon! Not quite yet. There are just a few more finishing touches that need to be done before the building is complete and opening date can be set.

To see a video of the altar installation, click here

And here is a playlist of all construction videos